A multifunction device might include, for example, both a color printer and a color scanner. More particularly, a multifunction device might include a spectrophotometer scanner, capable of determining spectral sensitivity measurements for a variety of wavelengths, not limited to visible light. In some cases, the scanner might be used to calibrate the printer. In some high-end systems, for example, spectrophotometers are used to characterize the quality of the color output of the system, and to provide a mechanism to adjust the color output characteristics of the system.
A multifunction device might have two relevant, perpendicular dimensions: a process (or slow scan) direction, and a cross-process (or fast scan) direction. The direction in which a document moves through the multifunction device is referred to as process (or slow scan) direction, and the direction in which the sensor or sensors are oriented is referred to as cross-process (or fast scan) direction.